Treasure Of The Heart
by PorkChopSmall
Summary: Elena Gilbert is just the daughter of a wealthy merchant, sailing along the high seas to start her new life. But when she is kidnapped by a Captain Damon Salvatore and held to ransom, her world is shattered. Is she doomed for the rest of her life or has she found the passion, adventure and danger she has always dreamed of? Rated M for dark themes and mature content. Delena AH/AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The warm sea breeze was refreshing as it blew her brunette hair around like a string through the open bay window of her cabin. Elena Gilbert sat in her room upon her father's ship, the Sea Mermaid, writing in her new journal. Her quill was scratching delightfully, and she was lost in her own thoughts. The crossing from England had been a tiresome one, having to spend weeks on end in the same boring cabin. The ship would occasionally make port to restock on valuable materials, but Elena's father was strict when it came to allowing her to leave the ship.

Grayson Gilbert was a noble-born merchant, whose wealth was rumoured to be the greatest in all of England, second only to the King himself. She led a life of incredible wealth and privilege, and, as a result, was incredibly lonely. After her mother's death from the plague, Elena's father had decided it would be better for them to start life across the sea and rebuild what the once had. It wasn't her first choice, but there was nothing she could do about it now. They were only one port away from arriving in Mystic Falls, a new town settlement.

"Ma'am?" A voice said from beyond the door.

Elena looked up to see the handsome face of Matt Donovan. He was second in command of the ship and her father's right hand man. His blonde hair that fell across his forehead was also blown about in the wind. His foggy green eyes seemed sharper than usual. As she squinted up to get a better view of his features, her heart started to pound. She was surprised he didn't hear the dull thuds that felt like her heart was hitting the wall of her chest.

"Oh, Mister Donovan!" She said, a bit flustered as she stood from her desk, straightening out her dress. "May I help you?"

He smiled. "No Ma'am, I came to inform you that we will we not be leaving his port until tomorrow now. Your father has been asked to join the Governor for dinner and he has requested your presence."

"Of course." Elena nodded, knowing that she now had to fulfill her duty. "Would you please get Pearl for me?"

She watched Matt leave and sighed. Elena had known him since they were children and she always knew it would be their duty to marry one day. The Donovan family was also very rich and owned a lot of land back in England. Matt's father was a member of the Great Council, having many governing rights in towns, including laws. Even though Elena cared about Matt deeply, she never truly loved him. It was difficult, but she knew it was her destiny to follow in her mother's footsteps and marry an important nobleman.

A few moments later, Pearl entered the room carrying several different materials in her arms. She was Elena's governess growing up and had since moved on to become her lady in waiting. She was honest and blunt at times, but her personality helped Elena to see things clearly.

Pearl pulled hard on the strings of Elena's corset, cinching her waist in even further. She gasped in surprise at how tight it was. Surely she was expected to be able to breathe? However, her maid seemed unconcerned at the problem she was causing her. She then turned Elena to the mirror, brushing her hair out and fastening a hairpin to the hold her fringe in place.

"We've got to have you looking your best tonight, Miss," She said, while scrutinising Elena with a critical eye. "There will be a very important announcement."

"Oh, and what might that be?" Elena asked, suddenly curious.

"I though you knew?" Pearl raised her eyebrows. "Mister Donovan plans to ask for your hand in marriage."

"Excuse me?" Elena gasped. "I don't want to get married!" She argued. "There's no way I'm throwing my life away like that! Matt and I…we do not love each other. I'm waiting for the right man, one I'm in love with and who is my choice."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Pearl snapped. "This is what your mother would have wanted."

"It's not your place to tell me what to do." Elena spoke clearly, trying to control herself.

"Well, regardless of what you really want, Miss, you have to get married." Pearl pressed.

"I'm nineteen years old!" Elena retorted. "I am an adult, not a child! I know what I want and I know what I don't want. And what I don't want is someone telling me what to do."

The governess sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."

"What about me!" She cried, throwing herself back into her writing chair. "I've had enough of this argument. I'm not marrying anyone. The end. Now, leave me."

Pearl sighed in annoyance. "You have to stop being so spoiled. You're marrying him."

"Leave me." Elena repeated angrily.

"As you wish," Pearl said, moving towards the door.

The second she left, Elena threw herself onto the bed, tears streaming down her cheek. She couldn't marry Matt; not when she didn't love him! She was already scared of becoming a wife. A submissive would've been a more appropriate word and having to marry Matt just added to her distress. It wasn't that Matt was a bad guy, because he respected her and he cared about her too. However, she only saw him as a friend.

She wiped away her tears, asking herself a dozen questions, and right at that very moment she cursed her life. She wished that she was born into the middle-class family, at least she could choose whom to marry. However, she knew that this was all in vain. She was going to be a Mrs. Donovan soon and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

He could see her now. Through the window panels, of course, he could see her. She had long brown hair with natural highlights that curled at the ends. She had very good form and long legs. She was clad in a very elaborate and lace dress. She was extremely beautiful and he started to wonder who she was… Nevertheless, he had a plan in motion and he wasn't about to screw it up by drooling over some girl.

He'd already scaled the side of the ship to the window, and now all he had to do was creep inside and silence the girl, now that the other woman was gone. Maybe he could play with her a bit before his men arrived as well…

* * *

Elena stood by the mirror, brushing out the knots in her hair, finally cooling down from her outburst. She knew she'd taken it a little too far, but she was old enough to make her own choices in the world. But she knew it would never be that simple.

Just then, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. She turned around and gasped in surprise. She stared at the stranger in her room, smirking at her as he took another step forwards.

Elena mouth opened to scream, but his hand clamped over her face with bruising force, muffling any sound that escaped her. He pulled her against him, her back pressed to his chest as his other hand wrapped around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides, making it hard for her to swallow.

"It'd do you best not to scream, darling." He warned her. She stayed silent, frozen in fear. "Now, I want you to lock the door and keep quiet, or I'll have to hurt you. Savvy?"

Panicked, Elena nodded her head slowly, and reached for the lock, twisting it in place and leaving her trapped with this man. His hand slowly moved away from her mouth as and pushed her back towards the centre of the room. She thought about making a dash for the window, but stopped completely when she noticed the pistol pointed directly at her.

Elena backed up, until she hit her bed, and fell over on it. This man was very off looking. He had jet black hair that curled around his structure face. His hat covered a high forehead, and shaded dark blue eyes. He had some slight stubble and several small cuts marking his cheeks and chin. His clothes were a bit ripped and torn, and he carried himself in such a way that suggested arrogance or cockiness, unafraid of anything. Elena swallowed as he smirked at her.

"Please, take whatever you want, but don't kill or rape me…." She begged in a weak voice.

"Darling, I wouldn't ever touch a woman like that." He took a few steps towards her, and when he saw her flinch, he checked himself. "The name is Captain Damon Salvatore; I suppose you've heard of me?" He asked proudly.

She remained silent, her body shaking. This couldn't be happening, not to her! She tried to think of something, anything, that would get her out of here and away from here, but Elena came up blank. There was no escape.

"I asked you a question." He said, his face slowly turning sour, from his happy mood.

"N-no…" She whimpered, her chest heaving up and down uncontrollably.

He sighed, annoyed. "So, tell me who you are? I'm dying to know." Damon smirked, coming closer to her until he was sat next to her on the bed.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm, er…Elena…and I…erm…" She stuttered, eyes on the pistol, too afraid to lie. "I'm…Grayson G-Gilbert's daughter…"

Damon's eyes widened. "I've never knew Grayson had a daughter. Enchanting name, by the way. Elena…" He purred, the name rolling of his tongue.

He reached out for her, using his knuckles to rub her cheek. Elena drew a shakily breath, not daring to move in case it angered the man. He tucked her hair behind her ears as his icy blue eyes looked deep into hers. He was studying her as much as she was studying him. Damon gently ran the back of his hands along her cheeks, studying her delicate features.

"Such an exquisite creature…" He murmured, more to himself than her.

As if inspecting her, Damon's eyes lingered down her body, clad in a long dress her mother had made for her. The dark crimson silk material that dragged on the floor and hugged her curves in all the right places and lace was used as the sleeves and used as trimming to highlight the main areas on the dress. Not able to restrained himself, Damon circled her waist with his arm and as if she was custom made for him, she was perfect for his touch.

Elena tried to move away from him, but Damon won't allow it, pressing his pistol against her stomach. She stopped squirming almost instantly, a tear escaping her as the man continued to touch her. Elena held in her breath, making her body rigid. A light whimper escaped her, fearing for some unknown sort of physical assault that might happen. But Damon merely turned his face into her hair, burying his nose in to the crook of her neck and inhaled her intoxicating scent.

He pulled back and gazed at her. "Hmm…"

Elena's lips began to tremble as his face inched closer and closer to her own. She tensed her shoulders, trying to look for any escape from him. She could feel his breath on her skin again as his eyes lowered to gaze at her lips and then back up to her eyes. He slowly cocked his head to the side and a sinister smirk rolled across his lips.

"I've decided..." He finally spoke in a low tone. "I think I'm going to keep you."

Elena gasped and didn't move a muscle as his eyes burned back into hers. "W-what do y-you mean?"

"You know, I'm going to take you with me."

"What!" She exclaimed, just as his hand pressed to her mouth again, roughly.

"Shh!" He hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Look, this is an opportunity for me to make quite a bit of money here. So I'm going to have to hold you for ransom. And, trust me darling, this is the nice way, but things can change in an instant, so don't test me."

Elena swallowed thickly. Damon quickly undid the belt on his trousers and Elena started to panic, thinking the worst. What was he going to do to her now? Was he going to rape her? Was he going to beat her with it? However he simply processed to bind her wrists together tightly, making her cry hard at the force. She knew that her skin was going to probably be raw later.

In that moment, a sudden crash and the sound of men's shouting brought Elena abruptly out of her own nightmare. A few gunshots went off, and a voice she didn't recognize was yelling something. Damon chuckled a little and yanked Elena to her feet, locking his hand around her throat as he pushed her towards the door. With a swift kick of his boot, the doors flew open, and Elena's eyes bulged from her head.

Chaos was everywhere on the main deck, as a group of pirates climbed from their ship onto her father's and fought their crewmen sailors fiercely. The Jolly Roger flew ominously over their ship as countless amounts of men swung over to the ship, outnumbering the sailors easily as they battle. Her fathers mew were not fighters or trained with swords as Elena watched a few men fall to their knees at the mercy of the murders.

Suddenly, Elena caught sight of her father on the opposite side of the boat, seeming to be scanning the mass of bodies for her. She screamed and kicked until Damon put something cold and round on her temple and she knew right away that it was a gun. She stopped mid-scream, fearing that any sudden movement would set it off.

"Nobody move!" The pirate who was holding her yelled. "Drop all your weapons and don't move!"

The fighting seemed to have stopped instantly. Elena could see her father in the crowd staring at her, and then looking at the pirate, seeming like he was about to faint. He kept looking from her, to the pirate, back to her again. She just stood there, watching as his face shifted between a look of shock, fear before finally setting on a look of pure hatred. Damon chuckled behind her, carefully brushing some of the hair sticking to her temple with the end on the gun.

''Well, well, if it isn't Mister Gilbert himself, here in the flesh. Fancy meeting you again! What's it been? Seven years?" Damon sneered, nonetheless menacing. This gaze dropped to Elena as he took another step forward. "Well, I don't intend on harming the darling Miss Gilbert here if, and only if, you and all of your crew do exactly as I say."

"What do you want?" Grayson shouted, rage feeling him at the slight of that dirty man holding his daughter.

"I want everything in the hold, Gilbert. And I mean_ everything._ That should be quite a fortune, if I remember correctly."

"Just don't hurt Elena, please..." Grayson felt heat rise in his cheeks, but to everyone's surprise gave the orders without question or protest. "You heard him!" He shouted. "Everything below deck! Everything we have, just bring it up. "

The crew looked very puzzled at the strange behaviour of him, but followed orders like cattle and went below deck to retrieve the cargo. Elena wished for them to move faster, hoping that she would be in the arms of her father again soon. She'd never been this close to a man, ever, and the feeling of some cold bloodied criminal holding her made her want to heave. Meanwhile pirates and crew were bringing all the load up from the belly of the ship, placing it all along the wooded plank until it was all settled on the pirate vessel. There was the entire luggage, as well as a full shipment of wine from England and food from around the country. Profit. It was always about profit with her father. It was why he was so successful.

"That is everything." He spat. "Now, return my daughter. Please."

But instead of releasing her, the pirate chuckled, "Gilbert, you and I both know that that there is more beneath your ship than what your letting on."

Now Grayson was looking strained, his jaw clenched. "See for yourself, I promise you there's nothing left."

Damon took a deep breath and pulled back on his gun, making a ominous click as the metal burned against her skin. Elena let out a whimper and her heart was pounding, and she could barely breathe from sheer terror. She braced herself for the shot, knowing that as much as her father loved her, he wouldn't give up a whole supply of goods to anyone.

"Oh, come now, what's more important, your business or your only daughter?" The pirate challenged, tightening an arm around her waist, anchoring her to his body causing her to let out a squeal. "You see, Grayson, I don't think you're in any position to bargain with me." Damon mused, giving him a lopsided smile.

"D-daddy…please…" Elena begged, tears streaming down her face now.

Grayson just stood there speechless, never taking his eyes off the pirate and Elena. She was beginning to think this was all a horrible dream. It was ridiculous to think that there were really pirates. Not like the ones that Elena had once read in her story books. The were real...and they weren't about to spare the blood of an innocent, it would seem. It was so she would have found humor in it, if she couldn't feel the cool pressure of the pirate's gun against her temple, ready to shoot.

Damon growled under his breath, pressing his finger to the trigger and standing straight. "Fime...have it your way."

Elena couldn't hear anything or move. Time seemed to slow and each second dragged by. She watched as her father's eyes filled with tears and the way her brother was being held back up with a sword at his throat by another pirate. She heard Damon's heavy breathing behind her as he squeezed her harder, pushing the pistol firmly to the side of her head. She closed her eyes and held her breath, preparing herself. Was it going to be quick? Or was she actually going to feel the bullet entering her head?

And then she heard the shot.

Elena wanted to scream, but no sound left her. Her heart was in her throat and she waited for the pain to echo through her body. She waited for the white light that everyone spoke of and she waited for the moment she would be reunited with her mother again…but she wasn't.

Ever so slowly, Elena opened her eyes and immediately felt her blood run cold in her veins. She watched as Matt fell to the floor, clutching his abdomen as red liquid seeped through his clothing. Her stomach jerked and she felt the need to throw up as she saw Damon pointing the pistol in that direction. There was a sadistic smirk on his face as he blew the smoke away from the barrel, watching as the body collapsed to the floor.

"Matt!" Elena screamed, and tried to reach him, but Damon refused to let go.

"Tell you what, Grayson. I know you're heading to Mystic Falls port, so I have a bargain for you. You bring everything else you're keeping below deck and at your new home to me in two weeks. I will meet you at the port where you will hand over all your goods and I will hand Miss Gilbert back to you." He backed up slowly, still keeping his gun to her head and his arm around her, heading for the side of the boat. He shouted to his crew, "Back to the Crow gents!"

Suddenly coming to the realization of what was going on, Elena started to scream, twisting and turning which ever way she could. "No! Let go of me! Daddy!" She struggled to breathe as she was dragged across an unstable bridge plank that linked the ships together and on to the pirate vessel. "NO!"

"Set sail!" Damon roared loudly.

All of his men swung back on to the main ship, some positioning themselves near to the cannons and preparing to fire if anyone made a move against them. Elena continued to jerk around in Damon hold, screaming until her throat was sore, watching as her father's ship slowly started to shrink into the distance. Another man came to Damon's side, unbinding Elena's wrists as he gave her a toothy grin.

"That's right, miss, you're our insurance. We know that they won't fire on us." He growled, a small cackle coming after.

"This is insane!" She cried, trying to pull away from Damon's grip on her body. "You cannot do this! It's against the law!"

"Listen Missy," Damon snapped, grabbing her forearm, and giving her a rough shake. "We are pirates. We do whatever the hell we want to do. Who cares if it is against the law. It just makes it more fun somehow." He grinned at her, licking his lips. "So, cooperate and you will have a better chance of survival."

Elena looked around wildly, hoping that some sailor on the merchant ship would cross over or do something to help her. However, any hope of that was shattered as she saw her ship, her life, disappear over the horizon. She watched, panic-stricken.

Elena wrenched her hand from his grasp and remembered the hairpin. She pulled it out and plunged it into whatever happened to be in her way. It happened to stick into Damon's upper arm. He yelled in surprise and pain. She took a split second to gather her thoughts and headed for the edge of the ship. She was just going to jump off and swim back to the father's ship if she had to. At least she'd be away from the pirates. Just as she reached the ship's railing, Damon caught her arm and pulled her back onto the main part of the deck by her hair.

"That wasn't very nice." He sneered. Elena cried out due to the grip on hair, making her scalp burn. "You're certainly causing me quite a bit of trouble, darling. I'm beginning to wonder if any ransom is worth any of this. Do you plan on being this troublesome all the time?"

"You vile scum!" She screeched. "Let go!" She attempted a punch at his chest but it did not seem to faze the pirate captain. If anything, his grip tightened.

Elena stared bravely and spat at him, her saliva landing on his cheek. It was incredibly un-lady like, but she was infuriated by this man! Who the hell did he think he was? He wiped away the spit with his finger, his eyes ablaze.

"Bloody wench!" He growled, gripping her chin harshly with bruising force. "Mason?! Ric?! Take her to the brig for now. I think Miss Gilbert here needs a time out." Damon said, and suddenly she was seized by strong arms and lifted into the belly of the ship. With that, he rounded towards the helm, shouting orders at crewmen as he passed.

"You behave now, miss." One of them admonished, looking mockingly serious.

When they reached the brig, Elena blanched at the stench that reached her nose. The one man dragged her into the cell as the other pirate, held open the iron-wrought door. Elena caught herself on her hands and knees, a cry escaping her lips as her knees collided with the cold, hard wood, turning to look back at the pirates. The dark haired one, Ric, gave her a sympathetic look. He said nothing, though, as he turned and left the brig. Mason stayed, the key to the cell in one hand, locking the door swiftly. When he saw that Ric had left, he tossed the key in the air, catching it with ease. As he looked over Elena's drenched body, her dress ripped and clinging to her skin, an evil glint began to form in his eyes. He licked his lips and he reached for the lock again, wanting to touch her.

"Mason!" Another pirate shouted. "We need you on deck, now!"

Mason growled, staring at Elena intently before a smirk form on his features. "Welcome to your new home, sweetheart."

* * *

**Hey everyone! New story! I know I have a few stories on the go at the moment but one of them, 'Give Me Love', will coming to an end very soon. It is because of this that I felt the need to have a new story started and prepared! So, as you can tell, this will be a Delena pirate story! I haven't seen may of these on FanFic, so I thought I might give it a go :)**

**This is a test chapter just so I have an idea of who is interested in the story. If you want me to continue then please drop a review and let me know what you think!? Thanks guys!**

**Oh and thanks to my beta, Amy (LiveBreatheVampires), for your help polishing off this chapter :) **

**Next chapter: Elena comes to the reality of her situation, learning that pirates aren't the drunken, jolly sailors that she used to read about in her story books... Stay tuned ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Elena slowly dipped in an out of sleep, the rocking of the ship doing nothing to ease her stomach. Yes, she had been sailing the seas for a few months, but nothing had compared to this. Below, in the brig, she could hear the waves crashing up against her cell walls. She could see and smell the rotting of food and salt as water trickled in from a small hole. She groggily opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't.

Memories of what had happened previously flooded her mind; the ship being raid, pirates, and…Matt.

Her eyes slowly focused so she could see, but didn't help with the welling of tears in her eyes. All she could do was pray that he was okay, that the bullet didn't kill him. Elena couldn't handle the thought that the maybe be hurt or worse.

Elena started coughing harshly, trying her best to clear her throat. It felt like sandpaper and burned. Her stomach didn't do much better, crying out for something, anything, that would help to ease her hunger. It was cold as well. Even though Elena could make out the open sun through some of the cracks in the wall, she found herself shivering, her wet dress clinging to her body uncomfortably.

And with that she found herself slipping away again to the gentle rocking of the boat…

* * *

Damon ran a hand over his face, scratching at his beard, as he tried to drink away his troubles like he did almost every day. His feet where propped up on his desk and his elbow was titled forwards so that it rested on his forehead, shielding his eyes from the harsh rays. His head was pounding and the alcohol wasn't really doing anything to help, but he didn't really care at that point.

Just then, Damon's first man and most loyal friend, stepped into the room.

"Captain," Ric sighed, placing his hat on the table. "We need to talk."

Damon glared at the pirate standing before him before removing his feet from where they were, crossing his arms. "Take a seat." He said after a moment, prepared to listen to what the man wanted to say.

Ric took the seat opposite his captain. "Stefan and I were discussed the girl's situation, and you know you can't just leave the girl in the brig. She's going to get sick…she'll die."

Damon stared down at the drink in his hand and gulped the harsh tasting bourbon down quickly.

"I know that…however I can't have her running about on the ship. It's not safe."

"And you think it's safer to leave her down there where any man could grab her?" Ric challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know you don't want that to happen."

Damon sighed, shaking his head after a moment of contemplating the situation. "Well, what do you think I should do with her?" He scratched his stubble and leant forwards on the desk. "You've seen first-hand how violent she is. I mean, look what she did to me arm!"

He lifted his sleeve, revealing a fairly deep wound on his arm. It wasn't very big at all, about the size of a pin prick, but the area was badly bruised and a thin trail of blood had dried on the skin. It wasn't that Damon cared really seeing as most of his body was littered with battle scars, but it was the fact on how he'd gotten this new flesh wound. He couldn't very well tell the crew that he was attacked by a girl, it would just be humiliating.

Alaric coughed, trying to cover up his laughter at how pathetic his captain was acting. He'd known Damon for years, back when they were children and, even then, he had always been a sore loser when it came to battle. He knew that the fact he had let the girl get the better of him had wounded not only himself, but his pride which was why the girl was locked up.

"Well maybe you should go talk to her? Get to know her, maybe?" Alaric suggested. "She has to be feeling rather miserable and, besides, you can't leave her down there for two weeks. That would just be cruel!"

Damon rubbed his face and nodded. "But what in the blazes am I supposed to do with 'er?" He asked.

Alaric stared blankly back at him. He opened his mouth to speak but the door to the cabin opened and both men turned to see who had entered. Stefan, Damon's brother and best man, stepped inside the cabin. He was always the primmer and proper brother, dressing more like a nobleman than a pirate. But he was Damon's only family and he'd vowed to protect and look after him no matter what.

"I wanted to talk about the prisoner, the girl." He explained, joining the other two men at the desk. "Have you decided what to do with her?" He inquired, taking a glass of bourbon from the cabinet.

Alaric shook his head. "Don't waste your breath, Stefan. Damon's pride is too sore to talk about the subject."

"It is not!" Damon retorted, slamming his fist down on the desk.

"Then what are you going to do about her?"

The captain fell silent, looking down at his hands and twirling the ring around his finger. It was true, he was keeping her down there not because he thought she would escape, but that he was embarrassed by the situation. Ransom wasn't something that really came into play for him, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Besides, when he'd seen the Gilbert flag flying high in the sky, he just couldn't resist a chance for payback.

_One never forgets…_

Damon downed the last of his drink, turning to his brother and breathing deeply.

"Go prepare some food for her and have it brought in here." He spoke calmly, even though he felt anything but that. "Alaric, I want you to find some dresses from the trunk in the storage room. I'm sure we have something that would suit her for now."

"Of course." Stefan nodded. "What about you, brother?"

He let out an annoyed sigh. "I guess I'll go get the girl."

* * *

Elena felt sick, but with no food in her stomach, she was felt feeling weaker than ever. She would have never believed that something like this could happen to her. It wasn't supposed to! But there was nothing she could do about it now. She started to wonder if they were going to starve her to death and drop her body in to the murky waters below. She thought about her father, her brother and Matt.

_Oh, Matty…_

She shivered again. She had been unbearably cold all night and desperately wished she could have a change of clothes. It didn't help either that the floor of the brig was covered in cold water as well. She clutched at the necklace, her mother's, that hung just above her breast, wishing above all else that she could be anywhere but there.

"Hmm…"

Elena's eyes flashed open in anger at the voice she heard. Standing before her was the monster from last night. Oh, what was his name? Ma…Mas…Mason!

He looked at her through the bars on the cell door, running his fingers along the lock as he licked his lips. Worried, Elena slowly rose from her stop on the floor, backing away into the corner and as far away from him as possible.

"Tell me, are you a virgin?" He asked bluntly, grinning as he took the key out of his pocket, slowly unlatching the door.

His words made her shiver and she wondered what this guy wanted from her. Clearly, it couldn't be something good. The way his grinned at her with his slightly crooked teeth was enough to put her on edge, let alone the fact that he was now inching the door open with the toe of his boot. He took one firm step into the cell, closing the door behind him and blocking off her escape route.

"I bet you are, aren't you." He mused, coming closer to her, now reaching out to stroke her hair. "Such a pretty little thing like you, probably waiting for you 'beloved'? Ha!" Mason mocked, running his hand down her throat.

"P-please…sir…" Elena begged, seeing no other way out, looking down at the floor. "Please…d-don't…"

"Oh, but darling, I want to." He smirked, licking his lips again. "Besides, I bet you'd enjoy it, whore."

He gripped her face, forcing her head around to look at him. She could smell his breath, a horrid stench, and could feel the dirt of his skin. Mason's face came forward, his nose nuzzling her neck before he bit down roughly, intent on marking her with a love bite.

"You smell delicious, darling." He murmured.

"Let me go!" She shrieked, her voice cracking.

"Shut the hell up!" Mason growled, his hand clapping over her mouth, muffling her screams.

She tried to shake him off, but his body suddenly pushed roughly against her own, pressing her firmly to the wall. That was when she felt his evident arousal poke her leg, making her even more frantic to try and get away from him.

"I like it rough too," He whispered in her ear, biting on it in the process.

She used her free arms and started punching, slapping and attacking him in any way she could. Elena soon became hysterically, thrashing around in this man's hold, doing anything to try and escape. He growled, using one hand to hold both of Elena's hands above her head while using his other to unbuckle his pants. He leaned in even closer.

"No…no! Please, don't!" She cried, her whole body shaking violently.

"Oh, I like them feisty. It makes the whole experience a lot more…interesting!" Mason grinned as he trailed his hand lower, slipping it under her dress and snaking it higher. "I'm gonna enjoy this." He whispered, yanking her head to the side. Elena's breath caught in her throat as he put his mouth on her chest, trailing upwards towards her collarbone and up to her earlobe.

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed, praying that someone on this ship would show her mercy.

Mason growled again, slapping her face hard so that her head banged against the wall. Searing pain shot through her cheek and she whimpered slightly, trying to bring her hand up to cradle her face, but she couldn't, because he was still pinning them down. He then snatched her wrists, pulling her against him. Her vision went blurry and her sounds became muffled, her muscles too weak to fight anymore.

She felt her dress being lifted, the feeling of his hands on her thighs, spreading them as he wiggled out of his trousers. She felt hot tears start to run down her cheeks, knowing that any moment now this man would take her and there was nothing she could do to stop him…

Suddenly Mason's pressing weight was gone and she slumped to the floor with a small scream. Elena's head hit the ground hard, dots appearing in her vision and her movements seemed slow as she tried to make out her surroundings.

She could hear yells and crashes and looked up to see a body standing between her and the man who had attacked her. Mason was now lying face down on the floor, groaning out loud as the figure in front of Elena repeatedly kicked him in the gut. Blood was now sipping from his mouth as he coughed violently as two other men hurriedly into the brig, drag Mason off of the floor and into the opposite cell.

Then, the man who'd defended her knelt in front of her, blue eyes glinting angrily as they took in her dishevelled condition. She jumped in surprise at how close he was and he grimaced, his lips set into a hard line.

Damon…

"Are you alright?" He breathed heavily down at her, his eyes soft.

Elena opened her mouth to form a sentence but the words went dry in her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her wet dress was now ripped in several different locations, barely holding itself together. She flinched away when she felt Damon's hand reach for her wounded cheek, making him stop his action instantly. Damon quickly shrugged out of his long coat, wrapping it around Elena's shoulders as he helped her to her feet. She swayed a little, the whole world seeming out of set.

"Whoa, there." He said calmly, holding her arms steady as he led her out of the brig, giving Alaric and Stefan brief orders to keep Mason locked away. "I'm going to take you to a cabin with a bed so that you can rest and we can fix you up. I promise you'll be safe and you'll be much more comfortable."

Elena looked at him confused, managing to nod slightly as he held her, walking her swiftly out on to the deck and across to the main cabin. She tried to ignore the hushed whispers from the other men on the ship, keeping her head down and relying on Damon for support. She felt like her legs might give way at any second, sending her crashing to the floor and delivering a whole world of new pain.

When the entered the cabin, Damon helped Elena into an empty chair and grabbed his own, pulling it over so that he was sat right in front of her. She waited, her tears drying, but the fear still evident in her eyes. What was he going to do? Lock her in there with him for his amusement? Did he really save her because he cared, or was it because he wanted to do it himself? She shuddered at the thought.

Damon slowly reached out to touch her cheek and Elena snapped her eyes shut, a sob cracking in her throat. She was shaking, gripping the material of the coat as he delicately trailed his fingertips down the side of her face and across her wounded skin where she'd been hit. It stung, but she didn't really notice, too consumed by the unknown of what this man could do to her.

He'd saved her, yes, but he was still her captor. Nothing more.

"Hey, relax." He said softly, dropping his hand to hers, soothing the skin. "You don't have to be afraid, savvy? I won't hurt you."

He reached up and gently ceased her wrist, lowering it to her side so that she wasn't gripping the coat as hard anymore. He moved to gently cup her jaw in his strong hand, his thumb brushing over the marks and the small cut in the centre of her cheek.

"T-thank y-you." Elena whispered, hugging her body again, trying to warm any part of her that she could.

"You don't have to thank me." Damon replied, reaching over to grab two glasses and a bottle of bourbon, filling both and handing one to her. "Here, this should help with the pain."

Elena eyed the drink carefully, meeting Damon's gaze for a moment before gratefully taking the drink, slipping it carefully. She choked as it hit the back of her throat, burning like acid as she spat the rest back into her glass. She wiped the liquid from her chin, staring back at him with a confused look.

"Yeah...it's...strong." He offered a smile, trying to do anything to gain her trust.

Elena placed the drink on the desk, pulling her legs closer to herself as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He watched her quietly, noting that she now looked nothing like the woman he had taken from the ship. Her features where washed out and her skin was pale, her lips cracked and her body shaking. The beautiful dress that she had worn was now only rags and her hair was flat and lifeless. Damon swallowed back the guilt. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He'd never wanted this to happen. Seeing her down in the cell and that pathetic, disgusting excuse of a man touching her made him want to kill Mason.

Elena looked down, face twisted in pain. And then, she released it all. Everything that had been building up inside of her. Tears swelled in her eyes and she let out a sob, holding her head in her hand. Damon watched, eyes wide and completely at a loss at what to do. How did he comfort her? What was he supposed to do?

"Hey…Elena," Damon cooed, leaning forward and stroking her hair. "It's alright, it's alright."

And that's when Elena snapped.

She shoved his hand away from her, standing up and towering over him. "No! None of this is alright! How dare you even think that any of this would be fine?" Angry tears fell from her face, unable to control herself. "You kidnapped me. This is your fault, all of it!"

"Elena-…"

"Please just take me home, I beg you. I'll give you anything you want, just please take me home." Her voice broke and so did her energy to stand, her body weaker as she fell to her knees. "Please...please…" She repeated.

Damon froze, looking down at the most enchanting woman who was begging at his feet, pleading with him. He grabbed her shoulders and gently ushered her to get up, letting her fall against him in the chair. She continued to sob harshly, leaving him wanting to comfort her as he wrapped his arms around her frail body. She struggled for a few moments, but Damon refused to loosen his hold, her energy running low as she slumped in his embrace. Elena let the rest of her tears make wet patches on his shirt, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Elena," He embraced her tightly as she clung onto his chest for dear life. "I'm sorry for everything, but I can't change it now. In two weeks, I'll take you home, but no sooner."

Elena let out another painful cry, pulling away from his hold, leaning heavily on the arm of the chair to support herself. She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeves, making a move to the cabin doors, not wanting to be near him for another second.

Finally, Elena blinked away her tears and focused on walking forwards, determined to make it to out of the room and away from him. She made the first step when the light-headiness took over once again as she felt her knees turn to jelly. She couldn't do it. There was no way she was making it out, but she pushed forward, yanking the door open and stepping out.

The light of the sun blocked her vision and Elena fell back, crashing into the outside wall by the doors. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to contemplate what to do next. Her vision started to turn black, everything blotted out and nothing mattered. All she could think of was the world crashing around her in a messy blur.

She felt a muscular pair of arms grab her, deep voice was calling her name and she could feel silky cloth under her cheek as she sank deeper into the dark abyss.

* * *

**Hey guys! First off I am sorry you all had to wait so long for the second chapter! I honestly didn't think it would take me this long. It has just been so crazy at the moment that I haven't had a proper chance to just sit and write. However, I will try and get my more frequent updates back now that everything with my University is settled now. Second of all, thank you all for the posit feedback for this. It will be a mini story of around twenty or so chapters. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a spare few hours yesterday and just sat at my desk, refusing to move until I'd finished the chapter XD Thanks, as always, to my beta Amy(LiveBreatheVampires) and I will update as soon as I can :) **

**Oh and for anyone reading 'Can't Be Tamed', I am so sorry for the lack of updates! Bloody writers block! I know what I want to write, but I've been lacking any inspiration and I've just been struggling to write the chapter. However, I think I'm almost done, just the last section to write and then I should be able to post it by Wednesday. Again, sorry, but I want to make sure that the content I am posting is descent, long and that it (hopefully!) keeps you guys hooked :) **

**Please let me know what you think of this and I will update as soon as I can. Thanks! **

**Next chapter: Elena comes to terms with living temperately on the ship whilst Damon tried to show her the best ways to pass the time. Stay tuned ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Damon's teeth were clenched together, his hands sweating. He could almost feel the veins popping in his arms and his muscles tensing up. He was almost physically shaking because he was so angry, wanting to break something or someone for what had happened.

He had been in that position for fifteen minutes now as he tried to get past Alaric and to Mason's cell. Mason was on his side, clutching his ribs as he stared at Damon. There was no glint in his eyes that told Damon that he was afraid, he just glared through the bars, wiping a dribbling piece of blood that sipped from the corner of his mouth.

"It's being taken care of, Damon," Alaric said as he tried to calm his friend down. "If you go in there you might do something you'll regret."

"Regret?" Damon barked, "That bastard deserves to die!"

Alaric put a hand on Damon's shoulder. "It's been a long night, Damon. I'll take care of it."

At that, Damon seemed to calm down and turned around, but not before giving Alaric a cold look.

"You know she deserved it!" Mason yelled, grinning evilly through the bars and making Damon stop in his tracks. "I can still smell her fucking perfume…so sweet."

"You fucking piece of scum!" Damon roared, racing towards the cell only to be pulled back by Stefan.

"Brother! Ignore him!" Stefan tried to reason.

"He has to die, don't you get it!"

Stefan groaned and Alaric helped to drag Damon back and out of the brig. They were now trying to calm their captain down as he struggled against them. The rest of the crew had now stopped in their actions, all turning the commotion on deck. It was unusual for them to see him like this, especially to the point that both his brother and friend had to hold him back from a fight.

"Damon!" Stefan growled, giving him a hard shove. "I'll take care of Mason, you take care of the girl."

Damon snarled, running his hands over his face to try and calm himself down. He knew that he was just making matters worse. Mason had always been a wind up and a scumbag, but Damon had kept him around out of guilt. After his little brother, Tyler, was killed at sea, Damon had tried to be a merciful man and offer the last remaining Lockwood a place to call home out on the seas, giving his life purpose again.

Clearly he wasn't one to be trusted anymore.

"Fine," He murmured, turning to Alaric, "Just leave him down there to rot for now. We'll deal with him when we make port. In the meantime I want you to prepare some food for the girl. She'll be needing it."

"Sure," The first mate nodded, "But what about clothing? You can't expect her to stay in that tatty, ruined dress for the rest of the journey."

"I'm sure I have a dress lying around somewhere that she could wear."

"Brother," Stefan sighed, raising an eyebrow, "You're going to dress her in one of your whore's outfits?"

"What she doesn't know, will not hurt her." Damon reasoned.

Stefan mumbled something under his breath before disappearing to the belly of the ship to grab the means to cook with. Alaric merely shook his head, a little amused, before moving along the ship, leaving the captain surrounded by an opened mouthed crew. Damon glared at them, ready to snap at anyone.

"What are you all staring at?" He bellowed, making every man jump, "Get back to work, you mangy dogs!"

All the crew ran back to work, all busying themselves as Damon leant over the side of the railing, taking deep breaths from the fresh open air. Again, he ran his hands through his messed hair, tipping his head back as he cleared his minded. He wasn't sure how to go about the situation now with the girl, considering everything that happened. He literally wanted to kill Mason with his bare hands! How dare he touch that girl…his girl!

Damon made a face at how strange it sounded, after all this wasn't him at all, so there had to be something about her that stirred things inside him…feelings. He felt protective of her and possessive in some ways. Normally with any other prisoner in the brig, he would have paid no mind to their screams.

But there was something about her that called to him. Hearing her beg and plead at the top of her voice struck a chord in him and it confused him. Yes, he would never have let such disgusting acts take place on his ship, but the fact that he actually cared about this girl annoyed him.

Especially a Gilbert girl.

He sighed again, slowly making his way back to his cabin, trying to ignore the strange looks he was getting from his crew. Once he was back into his cabin, Damon poured down a glass of scotch as the harsh memories seemed to return.

He had been in his cabin, drifting in and out of sleep, when he heard her screams, and the sound still haunted him. He had practically flown to Elena's room and what he saw was nothing like what he had imagined. He had thought that maybe she was hurt, cold or afraid, but he had never thought that one of his men was going to rape her.

He didn't even think about what was he going to do, he had just reacted and started to hit aimlessly at Mason. The beautiful girl was covered in dirt and bruises, all because he had locked her in a cell with no escape. It was his fault, he knew that much.

Damon drank another glass of scotch as he cringed at the memory, walking slowly to his room, past the wooden panels and neat curtains to where Elena was laying on his bed. She was still fast asleep, whimpering a little as she moved around, trying to find a more comfortable position.

He went in there and sat beside her, making sure that she was okay and breathing. He shook with anger and guilt as he remembered the way she had begged him to take her home, and his heart almost stopped at the thought of what Elena had thought of him when he brought her there.

Did she think that he had saved her because he wanted to do it himself? He was still her captor, after all, and she had flinched and shook when he had delicately touched her face. He wanted to tell her that she was safe with him, that he was sorry that this happened to her, but he couldn't say those things because she was in too deep sleep to hear him. Plus, he couldn't ruin his image or reputation.

He pulled the blanket just a little bit away from her and his face turned pale when he saw the bruises on her body. Her dress was torn when he'd brought Elena in to the cabin. When she'd left the room, he'd waited and contemplated what to do next before following her, only to have her fall back into his arms when he went on deck.

Damon had considered waking her, but decided against it so the girl could rest. She was obviously exhausted with the dark circles under hers eyes and ashen complexion. Instead, he had wrapped her up in his best fur blankets and made sure all the windows were sealed shut to protect her from the harsh, stormy weather. The night was almost over and the sun would be up soon, but he knew that she needed whatever sleep she could get at this point.

Damon pulled the cover further up under her chin, trying to cover the purple marks on her throat that made his blood boil.

Mason had tried to damage her perfect body. He had tried to hurt an innocent girl.

"I'm sorry, Elena," Damon said in a low voice.

He felt her stir in her sleep and he froze, unable to move or think. Should he go away?

Her little eyes then slowly opened, and nothing, no one could explain the sadness he felt when she jerked away from him as if he had hit her. Tears escaped her eyes as she tried not to lock her eyes with his. She threw the blanket away from herself and curled up in the corner of the bed, her back resting against the wall as she hands gripped the material of her tattered dress.

"P-please…Sir, d-don't hurt me," She begged him as she tried to move off the bed, but failed due to her pain.

He wanted to break something. Why would she think that? He had saved her, he didn't mean her any harm! But the way she looked at him, fear evident in her eyes, showed what she was truly feeling.

That had just confirmed it then. She was thinking that he saved her so that he could do it himself.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Damon said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "I don't mean you any harm, I promise."

She remained still, curled into a ball. For a moment Damon was afraid. What if this traumatizing experience left a horrible impact on her? He had heard stories before, of people cast out to sea or placed in the lunatic asylum after a traumatic incident from which they could not recover. He was praying that this was not the case here.

He tried to move towards her, but stopped when he heard her sharp intake of breath, her breasts heaving up and down at an uneven pace. Damon sighed and reached for her hands, taking one of them in his. She tried to pull back, but he didn't let her as he wanted to try and take control of the situation again. She might have been in his cabin after what had happened, but he was still the one in charge.

"Don't be afraid of me," Damon told her, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "It's over now. You're in my room, and I'm going to bring you something to eat soon, okay?"

Elena's eyes slowly locked with his. "You mean you're not going to hurt me?" She asked him in a childlike voice.

"No. I brought you here so that you could rest. I'll get you some food. What do you like?" He said, fighting the temptation he had to just stroke her tears away.

"I'm not hungry, Sir," Elena said, "I just want to go home."

"I already told you," Damon said calmly. "In two weeks, I'll take you home."

"I don't want to stay here with you," Elena said, tears starting to flow again. "I'm scared and I want my dad. Why are you even keeping me here? Why couldn't you have just accepted the things my father gave you?"

He remained silent for a long moment and just watched her. It was true, he could have just taken the things in the ship and released Elena, but this was about much more than a petty theft. No, this was personal, a matter between him and Grayson and Damon wanted to hurt his rival more than ever. Taking the girl seemed like the easiest and most logical thing to do, but now even that didn't seem so.

"I just want to go home," She whispered again, wiping her tears away.

"Well, you can't," Damon snapped, causing Elena to flinch and hug herself tighter.

He jumped off the bed and sighed, looking at the broken girl. He was being harsh, he knew, but this was about his image. He had to be feared to gain respect.

"Come with me. I'll show you around, okay? I can help you get comfortable-"

"You're not listening to me, Sir. I don't want anything to do with you," Elena yelled. "I nearly got raped last night, and I can't imagine what other men might do to me. I want to go home!"

"No one's going to hurt you," Damon voice tightened, trying to control himself, "I made sure of that."

"That man hurt me! He attacked me and threatened me and put his hands all over me!" Elena cried, "You weren't there when he came into my cell. There is no guarantee that others won't do it when you are away. I'm grateful that you came to my aid, but I'll never be safe here."

"I told you, I'm taking care of it!" Damon shouted, "They saw what I did to Mason last night. No one's going to lay a finger on you."

Elena looked away from him, closing her eyes. She didn't want to talk to this man anymore. He was just as evil as any other man on this vessel. The image of Matt's falling body was forever playing in her mind whenever she looked at the pirate captain. She was afraid, very afraid. She knew her father, if he was here now, would have called her weak for crying in front of the enemy, but it was all she could do to stop herself attacking the monster that may have killed Matt.

"Now, can you please just come with me?" He asked her in a quiet voice.

"I don't want to see you," Elena mumbled as she buried her face in the pillow. "Just please go away."

"Why do you have to be so bloody difficult?" Damon said unkindly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed, causing her to cry out.

He instantly regretted it when he saw her rubbing her bruises. How dare he put another mark to her already damaged body? He attempted to apologize but the look on Elena's face convinced him otherwise.

"Elena-"

"Don't call me that!" Elena yelled, pulling away from him. "Don't ever call me that! You have no right to use my first name, monster."

Damon's jaw tightened, but he kept his cool. "Fine. What would you like to be called?"

"You will only ever refer to me as Miss Gilbert and nothing else, Sir."

"Please, call me Damon."

Elena let out an irritated sigh. "You don't deserve to be called anything. But my mother raised me true and right to respect even the foulest of people who walk this Earth, Sir."

"Miss Gilbert," Damon stepped forward, his eyes narrowed, "You are testing my patience. It would be wise not to test me."

"Why?" Elena asked, feeling a little brave, "Will you shoot me?"

Her question hit him hard, harder than it should have before anger took over him. Who the hell did she think she was to talk to him like that?

He growled lowly and gripped her upper arms tightly before backing her in to the cabin wall. Elena made a choked sound and panicked, her bravery gone and soon replaced with ice cold fear. The sea blue eyes of the pirate were no longer calm, a hint of rage behind them like he might burst.

"Let go of me," She whispered.

He just stared at her. Completely silent.

"I said, let go of me!" Elena said loudly, trashing around in his hardened hold.

Her hatred filled eyes poured into him as her hands turned into fists, hitting at his chest repeatedly. She hit whatever part of him she could, her screams of frustration filling the cabin. But the pirate captain remained unfazed by her efforts, merely holding her in place as her struggles died down. Her screaming dulled down into light whimpers as she tried to get away before finally admitting defeat.

Her head rolled down and she seized in her fight, her body now shaking from the rush and just pure self-pity, tears making their way down her cheeks and under her chin. Her body was limp once again as she cried, fearing of how this man would react to her outburst.

Damon took a deep breath as he watched her, waiting for her to calm down completely before his fingers went under her chin, lifting her face to his. Elena shuddered at his touch, but did her best not to move away or flinch at his touch.

"You done?" Damon asked, breathing heavily.

The girl said nothing and he took a step back so his body was not so pressed to hers anymore, but still within reach to grab her if she tried to fight again. She slumped against the cabin wall, holding her bruised arm from where he had grabbed her harshly. He rolled his eyes and sighed, stepping back from her.

"Look, Miss-.."

Damon was stopped due to the knock at the door and groaned at the timing of it. He glared at Elena for a moment, who had now sunk to the floor on her knees, sniffling. Honestly, he couldn't stand a crying woman, but her position seemed to pull on his heart strings a little more than usually. Quickly, he grabbed a blanket from the bed, draping it over her shoulders before turning to the door.

"Enter," He ordered, clearing his desk off the map and drink-glasses.

Alaric and a pirate that Elena didn't quite recognise entered the cabin, carrying a large trunk between them before setting it down in the far corner of the room. They were then followed by another man, who Elena thought looked very similar to Damon. Maybe they were related? He carried in a basin if fresh water and placed it on the captain's desk along with a sponge.

"Thank you, lads," Damon said, nodding his head. "How long until the food is ready?"

"Shortly," Alaric spoke, giving Elena a small smile to reassure her.

She just looked at him, still completely unsure of what to make of the situation. What about the brig? Hadn't they come to take her back down there? And the food, was it even for her?

"Good," The captain nodded again, dismissing them from the room before turning to Elena. "Here, I am sure you'll be able to find something for yourself in here."

Damon threw open the trunk lid, pulling out a simple, purple dress with a modest cut and long sleeves. It wasn't something that Elena would have worn normally as it looked more like a maid's outfit than anything else, but she accepted the dress with shaking hands. The outfit she was currently wearing was making her skin crawl from the fact that Mason had touched it and that it was in tatters now.

"There," Damon smirked, watching as Elena played with the material of her new dress. "Get yourself cleaned up and dressed. I will bring you something to eat in a while, but for now I will leave to change, Miss Gilbert."

Elena watched as the man turned on his heels, heading for the door. She hadn't expected any of this at all! Her good nature getting the better of her, Elena couldn't help but want to show her gratitude.

"Thank you, Sir," Elena called after him quietly, grateful for giving her space and privacy finally.

Damon paused at the door, turning to gaze at her before offering a small smile and nodded. The door closed firmly behind him, but Elena was still nervous and so propped one of the chairs up against the door handle, making sure that for certain no one could come in. She still didn't trust him in the least, even though he'd been moderately civil with her and saved her from Mason, but that still didn't make up for the things he had done.

Elena hesitantly reached for the strings of her dress, looking to the door once more before tearing the remains of her ruined outfit off, leaving her in her undergarments. She took the sponge and scrubbed the dirt and sweat from her arms, chest and face. Although the water was cold, it proved refreshing and did the job of removing any traces of filth and making her feel much better.

She then pulled the dress over her head, surprised in how well it fit her before she reached for the comb inside the trunk. She brushed through her tangled locks and braided her hair to the nape of her neck, using the remained pins she had left.

Once finished, Elena took a deep breath and pulled the chair away from the door, pondering what to do next. Damon hadn't told her to meet him outside so she made herself comfortable in one of the armchairs next to the desk, deciding it would be nice to have a few more moments that didn't involve pirates.

Elena tried to occupy her time and mind, not wanting to think about how horrible her situation was in fear that she would burst in to tears. She hated that she had cried, especially in front of the enemy, but with everything that had happened, Elena felt mentally exhausted. Instead, she decided to venture around the room.

The room in itself was a mess compared to her father's office, but she supposed to a pirate that it looked organised. The collection of items and furniture didn't match at all, but looked as if it had been collected from all around the world, all coming from different origins. Candles were placed and burning all around the room, many seeming to almost have melted completely. There were charts all over the walls as well as a bookcase and cabinet of drinks. Beyond that was a four part wooden screen, dividing the office type room from the bed where she had woken surrounded by neat curtains.

In one corner was a sculpture of some sort, but upon closer inspection, Elena found it to be a handmade sculpture made of various animal bones. Normally, something like that would have appalled her, but Elena found herself drawn to the item. She found it incredible that someone had taken the time to gather the materials and then make them fit together to create such a strange and exotic design.

Looking up again, Elena ran her fingertips over the spins of the many books on the shelf, her eyes lighting up at some of the editions that she found. It amazed her that a pirate, above all people, would keep such a collection of books.

Finally Elena turned to the wood screen, noticing a few items of clothing had merely been thrown over the top to hang down. She knew it was none of her business, but Elena spotted something shinning of one of the items and picked it up. She held it out in front of her, confused to what it was until realisation hit her. To her horror, she was holding a bright red brassiere.

"Find anything interesting?"

Elena jumped and threw the item of clothing to the floor, not releasing that Damon was now leaning against the cabin wall, an amused look on his face. She hadn't heard him come in.

"I…um…I…" She said nervously, her hands fiddling with the sleeves of her dress.

"It's fine, Miss Gilbert," He spoke, pushing away from the door and picking up the brassiere. "You're merely curious. Though, judging by your reaction, you either don't know what it is or you didn't expect to find this." He smirked again, waving the bra at her before throwing it on to the bed.

"I know what it is," Elena snapped defensively, "I just don't understand why it was here. I didn't think there were any other women on this ship."

"Oh, there isn't." Damon chuckled, leaning closer to her. "But I do enjoy a women's company every now and then when we make port."

His breath felt cool on her cheek and Elena shuddered, taking a step back and away from him. Elena opened her mouth several times to reply before at last settling on keeping her mouth shut for now.

"I have to say, Miss Gilbert, that dress certainly suits you well," Damon said, raising his eyebrows at her before gesturing for her to take a seat by his desk.

Elena swallowed thickly, doing as he said as he took his own seat. She noticed that his expression and mood seemed to change drastically from his playful one to his more serious one. She was worried why the sudden change had happened, but when he looked into her eyes she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that his anger was not directed at her.

"Listen, Miss, I think we got off on the wrong foot," He started, simply.

"What did you expect when you forced me upon your ship?" Elena argued, but was silenced when Damon rolled his eyes.

"I am trying to be civil about this," He said, a slight warning in his tone. "Anyway, I understand that your treatment on my vessel so far has not been the right way to treat a lady. I also take full responsibility for what happened with Mason. I wish I could take that back. I apologise."

Elena thought for a moment, thinking it was some trick, but she knew that the pirate was being honest. Besides, she didn't want to start another fight with this man or anger him in any way that might see her worse off.

"I accept your apology." She murmured softly, looking down at her hands.

Damon smiled. "Thank you, Miss, but I understand if you still need time to recover to fully forgive me. Anyway, it shall never happen again. In fact, we will be getting rid of Mason soon and no man will ever touch you like that again."

"What do you mean? Getting rid of him?"

"I thought it would be obvious, us being pirates and all. Today at midday, he'll walk the plank to a watery grave. I don't take men break my rules lightly, especially if it involves a woman."

Elena gasped a little, but nodded.

"I understand that you want to punish me for what everything that has happen thus far" Damon said after a few minutes, raising his eyebrows. "But I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay in here just to spite me. It's looking to be beautiful day, and I was thinking that we could watch the sun rise together, on the deck."

"I don't think so," Elena said stubbornly. "I don't want anything to do with you."

He frowned. "You'd really prefer staying in here?"

Elena was about to say 'yes' but then she changed her mind. What if he locked her up for the rest of her life if she refused? She knew she couldn't stay cooped up in here for the whole journey. Besides, she longed for the fresh air she had been refused so far.

"No," She admitted, a little sadly. "I'll come with you."

"That's what I thought," He smirked, standing up and offering her his arm.

Elena walked right past it but he grabbed hers in a firm grip. She struggled for only a moment until she realised that he wasn't letting her go anytime soon.

Damon gently led her onto the deck, and Elena inhaled the cool air. She tried to ignore the pirates giving her strange looks and instead focused on the rays of sun peering over the horizon. Damon let her arm go and she rested against the railing, looking at the distant early morning sky. It was still a little bit dark, but the scenery was to die for. The water was clear, almost as if it was made of crystals.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked her.

"Yes, it is," She agreed, closing her eyes for a moment.

Elena nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Damon behind her, his front pressed against her back. She felt his arms go around her body as he rested them just underneath her breasts, holding her to him, and for a moment she was scared of what his intentions were. It was so strange and such a foreign feeling to be held in such away by a man. She could practically feel his heart beating against her back and his breathing in the back of her neck.

"Don't," She tried to say, but he just nuzzled her hair.

She tried to move away from his grip but he wouldn't move. Instead his hands moved to her sides, resting in her middle as seemed to smell her. Elena thought it odd that he was taking in her scent and her body tensed even more when she felt as his fingers started to draw patterns on her body.

"Why can't you just relax?" He mumbled against her hair. "I already told you. You are perfectly safe with me. I would never hurt you."

"Safe with you?" Elena spoke softly, "You're a pirate. You kidnapped me."

"I saved you as well," He remained her. "I could've left you in there."

Elena rolled her eyes and struggled in his grip again, not understanding why he insisted on holding her like that. "Can you let go of me?"

"No,"

"But why?" She pleaded in a whine tone.

Damon sighed and loosened is grip, but only a little. "Let's just say that I have stamped my claim on you. You're mine now."

"I belong to no man!" Elena argued, trying to pry his hands from her body.

"It you want to stay alive, you are."

At that Elena froze.

"W-what do you mean?" She swallowed thickly.

"I mean, that as long as I claim you as mine, no other man on this ship can touch you. If I were to take back my claim, there is nothing I would be able to do to stop the men doing as they please with you." He whispered in her ear. "Mason thought he could get away with what he was doing because I hadn't put my claim on you, but now I have no man will ever think of touching you again."

Elena knew that he was right, so she didn't say anything. She may have been a higher class lady, but she knew some of the rules of pirating. Share and share alike. With Damon's claim on her made her his and so, for now, she was safe. Damon smiled, knowing that he had won. He just wanted her to relax a little, she was so stiff in his arms.

"So, why did you save me?" Elena asked him after a few minutes. "I mean, I'm grateful that you came to my aid, and for that, thank you. But I don't understand why you did that if you hadn't claimed me then."

"What don't you understand?" Damon asked her, his voice calm. "I might be a pirate, Miss, but I do know the difference between right and wrong. A man who tries to rape a woman is weak and a monster. I'd never do anything like that in my entire life. I couldn't stand idly by when you were being violated in that way."

Elena sighed internally. So this man had morals?

"What? Surprised to find out that I have morals just like any other human being?"

"I just didn't think you'd care," She said honestly.

"Well, now you know that you were wrong." He continued, holding her firmly against him.

Elena turned to face him. "Yes. I was wrong. Thank you."

"You're welcome," He said softly.

She smiled a little, finally feeling relaxed. Damon realized that she was no longer stiff in his arms, so he took the advantage by squeezing her a little bit tighter to him. They remained that way until the sun rose, and even then, they couldn't deny that in that moment, they were both relaxed. Elena was coming to terms with the situation she was in, deciding that it was best to make the most of it rather than mop about her luck and life.

She laughed inwardly, remembering as a child she'd always wished for a little excitement, passion, adventure and danger in her life. Well, now she'd finally gotten what she'd wished for.

* * *

**Hey guys! Please don't hate me for the long wait! I have just been so busy at the moment. University has been full speed ahead and I just haven't had a moment to myself to just write! I am really sorry and I am trying to keep up with my writing, but I am finishing it hard at the moment. I have not given up on any of my other stories and I will be updating them soon! I just have to get settled with all my other work and try and find a balance, so I hope you all understand :) **

**Now this chapter really is the kick off to the real adventure, so I hope you enjoyed it :D Thanks to LiveBreatheVamipres for her support on this chapter and her awesome writing skills. Go check out her amazing work! Please let me know what you think and I will do my best to update when I can. Just remember that I haven't given up on any of my stories :) **

**Next chapter: The adventure beings, Mason walks the plank and Elena finds herself trusting the man she should fear above all...Stay tuned ;)**


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